1And it happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim, who took for himself a concubine out of Beth-lehem-judah. 2And his concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father’s house to Beth-lehem-judah, and was there the space of four months. 3And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak kindly to her, to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of donkeys: and she brought him into her father’s house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he rejoiced to meet him. 4And his father-in-law, the young woman’s father, retained him; and he stayed with him three days: so they ate and drank, and lodged there. 5And it happened on the fourth day, that they arose early in the morning, and he rose up to depart: and the young woman’s father said to his son-in-law, Strengthen your heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward you shall go your way. 6So they sat down, and ate and drank, both of them together: and the young woman’s father said to the man, Please be willing to stay all night, and let your heart be merry. 7And the man rose up to depart; but his father-in-law urged him, and he lodged there again. 8And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the young woman’s father said, Please strengthen your heart, and stay until the day declines; and they ate, both of them. 9And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the young woman’s father, said to him, Behold, now the day draws toward evening, please stay all night: behold, the day grows to an end, lodge here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow get up early on your way, that you may go home. 10But the man would not stay that night, but he rose up and departed, and came opposite Jebus (the same is Jerusalem): and there were with him a couple of donkeys saddled; his concubine also was with him. 11When they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said to his master, Please come, and let us turn aside into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. 12And his master said to him, We will not turn aside into the city of a foreigner, who is not of the children of Israel; but we will pass over to Gibeah. 13And he said to his servant, Come and let us draw near to one of these places; and we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Ramah. 14So they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down on them near to Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin. 15And they turned aside there, to go in to lodge in Gibeah: and he went in, and sat down in the street of the city; for there was no man who took them into his house to lodge. 16And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening: now the man was of the hill-country of Ephraim, and he sojourned in Gibeah; but the men of the place were Benjamites. 17And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, Where are you going? and where do you come from? 18And he said to him, We are passing from Beth-lehem-judah to the farther side of the hill-country of Ephraim; I am from there, and I went to Beth-lehem-judah: and I am now going to the house of Yehovah; and there is no man who takes me into his house. 19Yet there is both straw and provender for our donkeys; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your maidservant, and for the young man who is with your servants: there is no want of anything. 20And the old man said, Peace be to you; however, let all your needs lie on me; only do not lodge in the street. 21So he brought him into his house, and gave the donkeys fodder; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank. 22As they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain base fellows, surrounded the house, beating at the door; and they spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring out the man who came into your house, that we may know him. 23And the man, the master of the house, went out to them, and said to them, No, my brothers, please do not act so wickedly; seeing that this man has come into my house, do not do this folly. 24Behold, here is my daughter a virgin, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble them, and do with them what seems good to you: but to this man do not do any such folly. 25But the men would not listen to him: so the man took hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. 26Then the woman came in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light. 27And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and, behold, the woman his concubine had fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold. 28And he said to her, Up, and let us be going; but none answered: then he took her up on the donkey; and the man rose up, and went to his place. 29And when he had come into his house, he took a knife, and took hold of his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel. 30And it was so, that all who saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day: consider it, take counsel, and speak.